January 21, 2020

NBC announced today that American Ninja Warrior is coming back for a ninth season on the network - the show's 12th overall. The veteran athletic competition has become a summer staple for the peacock network, garnering consistently-solid ratings that fare well against its time slot competition.

Based on the Japanese series Sasuke, which is now in its 37th season, American Ninja Warrior began its stateside run in 2009 on the now-defunct cable channel G4 before moving to NBC in 2012.

The show closely mirrors the original Japanese format, and features athletes from all walks of life taking on a series of extreme obstacle courses in city finals around the country. Those advancing move on to the national finals round in Las Vegas, which features a four-stage course that closely resembles Japan's well-known Mount Midoriyama course.

Production on Season 9 of American Ninja Warrior is expected to begin in the coming months, with a premiere slated for this summer.